A NATIONAL competition to design a breathtaking new Spitfire monument for Southampton is being launched this weekend.

The structure, at over three times the size of the original aircraft, will be an international landmark enjoyed by the millions who visit the city or live in the area.

Plans for a Spitfire tribute were unveiled two years ago after a long-running campaign by the Daily Echo to finally honour the men and women who built and flew the Second World War fighter plane.

The Spitfire Tribute Foundation, a group of council, business, media and aviation leaders behind the project, are now inviting the public to submit design ideas for the monument to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its maiden flight in 1936. The winning entrant will receive a flight on board a Spitfire.

The landmark will be part of a major regeneration of Southampton’s old docks rising up on land beside the historic Trafalgar dry dock, which lies abandoned adjacent to the new £19m Ocean Terminal.

The project has received the backing of Prime Minister David Cameron and his defence secretary Liam Fox.

Former premier Gordon Brown, who officially launched a fundraising drive at a reception at Number 10, described it as the city’s equivalent to New York’s Statue of Liberty.

Conservative councillor John Hannides, chairman of the foundation, said: “This will be a national tribute to the Spitfire, its designers, and those who built, flew and maintained it.

“We are looking to encourage people from all walks of life, it maybe those that have a passion for the Spitfire, amateurs or professional designers, who want to take part and help and help us come up with a design. We want to make sure that all ideas are being considered as we progress the project but we are keen that people stick to RJ Mitchell’s fantastic Spitfire design.

“The monument will be elevated and we want it to look as if it is in flight.”

The competition comes as a Spitfire will feature in a flypast at 4pm next Saturday to mark the centenary of flight in South Hampshire and the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

A Battle of Britain Memorial Flight over Southampton Water will also feature a Hurricane and the UK’s only flying Lancaster.

Crowds are expected to assemble along the waterfront from Weston Shore to Hamble Point as the planes roar past three times.

Southampton City Council earmarked £70,000 for feasibility studies to launch the Spitfire tribute project.

However no taxpayers’ cash will be spent on construction of the monument.

The foundation aims to raise £2m by th end of 2011 to build it. Previous designs have been discounted.

A website is being set up to display the design entries.